Rock-drilling apparatus



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

M. C. BULLOGK. ROCK DRILLING APPARATUS.

Patented May s, 1892.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. M; C. BULLOCK.

y ROCK DRILLING APPARATUS.

Patented May 3, 189,21.

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MILAN C. BULLOCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROCK-DRILLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,909, dated May 3,1892. Application filed May 18, 1889. Renewed October 5, 1891. SerialNo. 407,670. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it 1ra/ay concern.-

Be it known that I, MILAN C. BULLocK, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Rock-Drilling Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to a novel construction in rock-drills, and moreespecially to a drill or reamer which is intended to be employed when itis desired to enlarge a previously-drilled hole to insert therein acasing which is larger than the drilling-tool orginally employed.

The invention consists in the features and construction and combinationsof parts hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of asection of a coredrilling apparatus provided with asurrounding casingand learning-cutters, the latter being shown as expanded and in sideelevation. Fig. 2 is a similar View with the several parts shown indifferent position and with the reaming-cutters contracted. Fig. 3 is acentral vertical sectional view of an upper section of the devicesillustrated in Figs. l and 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sectionalviews on the lines fl 4 and 5 5 of Fig. l. Figs. 6 and 7 are horizontalsectional views on the lines 6 6 and 7 7, respectively, of Fig. 2.

As shown in said drawings, A is an outer casing intended to be insertedin a drill-hole and for the reception of which the hole previouslydrilled is reamed out or enlarged. Said casing A will ordinarily be sunkwithout being rotated. However, if desired, it may be rotated by meansof any suitable mechanism.

Bis an inner casing or tubular drill-rod` composed of sections andadapted to pass within the casing A. Vertical slots b b are formed insaid casing, desirablyfourin number. Upon the inside of the inner casingand on either side of said slots b b are located lugs b b', throughwhich are passed transverselyarranged pins b2 b2, affording pivotalsupport to rea-mers or reamingcutters B B'. The

`are provided below their pivots with actuating-arms b4 b4,which extenddownwardly and engage devices hereinafter described bywhich the reamersare retracted, the outer faces of said arms being arranged at such anangle that when the reamers are thrown outwardly y or in position forcutting said faces will stand considerably within the outer surface ofthe drill-rod. The. surfaces b3 b3 of the cutters project through theslots b ZJ beyond the inner casing.

56 66 are shoulders formed on the tops of the reamers for engagementwith the devices by which said reamers are held in their retractedposition.

It will be manifest from the construction above described that when thesurfaces b3 b3 are retracted or brought within the casing the lower endsor arms of said reamers will not project through the slots beyond thecasing,

so that the casing B is without lateral prowhich is not herein shown,with the usual annular cutting-head and a core-barrel.

The lugs b b are herein shown as formed on a sleeve or coupling B2,which is connected at its ends by screw-threaded joints with sections B3B4 of the drill-tube B, the casing-section B3 being connected to thecoupling B2 by means of a short pipe-coupling B5.

C is ashorttubelocated within the lower part of the coupling B2 andconnected therewith by means of a screw-thread at its lower end engagedwith aninterior screw-thread on the said coupling, said tube extendingupwardly to a point adjacent to the pivots of the reamers B B. Acylindric plug or guide-piece C is located within the coupling B2 andsecured thereto at its lower end by means of a screwthreaded joint onsaid coupling. The said plug extends from a point near.` the said pivotsa considerable distance above the rupper ends "of said reamers and isformed at its upper end with a hollow internally-screwthreaded portionc, with which a hollow nut IOO C2 is connectedby means of said screw-threads, the head c of which is desirably made of the same diameter as theexterior of said plug. Vertical slots c2 c2 are formed in the upper endof the tube C, which register with the slots b b of the coupling B2. Theplug or guide-piece C' is formed below its hollow portion with avertical, central, and circular aperture adapted to receive the spindleof the core or spool hereinafter described. The said plug is also formedwith vertical transverse slots c3 e3, preferably four in number, andarranged at right angles so as to register with the slots b l?.

D is a vertically-movable cylindric actuating-core or spool providedwith an upwardlyextending s indle D which is connected deh p 7 7sirably, by ascrew-threaded joint with a head or cylindric casting D2.Said head is connected by a screw-threaded joint or otherwise with anupwardlyextending tube or spool-sheath D3, which is provided interiorlynear its upper end with an annular downwardly-projecting ange D4,forming a means by which a suitable tool can engage and lift saidspool-sheath to operate the spool. A longitudinal opening or passage dextends through the spool-spindle and the head D2, said passage beingenlarged at the top of the head to form a conical recess d', the utilityof which will hereinafter appear. The said passage d provides a conduitfor the downward flow of water to the annular cutters, or an outlet forthe upward flow of water when the supply is from the exterior of thetube.

cl2 d2 are lateral recesses formed in the head D2, into which a wrenchor other suitable tool can be inserted to tighten up or unscrew thesame.

The spool is provided at each end with enlarged portions cl2 d4, thelower one d2 having a cylind ric surface which is adapted to tit andslide within the tube C. The enlarged portions CF d4 are taperedinwardly from the outer ends thereof to a reduced central portion c,which is cylind ric, or approximately so, The upper enlarged portion dof the spool is formed on its outer sides with V-shapedvertically-arranged notches or recesses d6 d6, preferably four in numberand arranged at right angles, thus forming arms Z7 C17, which registerand slide within the slots c2 c3 of the plug, and thereby providing ameans for guiding said spool. It will be noted that the arms C17 @Z7bear upon upper rear faces of the reamers B B to actuate the same.

E is a second tube or locking-sheath interposed between the casing B andplug,r C at its lower portion and extending upwardly between the saidcasing l5 and the spool-head D2 and the spool-sheath D3 to a pointconsiderably above the latter. The said lookin gsheath lits and slideson the plug C and is disconnected from any of the adjacent parts, sothat it may slide freely on said plug and will slide downwardly thereonby gravity. Said locking-sheath is normally sustained by resting atitslower edge upon the upper end of the reamers B B inside of the shouldersb b thereof. Said locking-sheath, furthermore, is provided with aninterior annular downwardly-projecting flange E on its upper end forengagement with an implement by which the same is actuated, ashereinafter fully explained.

It will be noted that the spool is adapted to slide vertically and isguided by the enlarged portions thereof, which fit within the tube C andplug C', and also by the spindle D thereof, which passes through the nutC2. The spool islimited in its upward movement by the upper enlargedportion d4 striking the bottom of the nut C2, and in its downwardmovement by the contact of the head D2 with the top face of the said nutC2.

The main purpose of the construction described is to enable the reamersto be retracted inside of the surface of the casing-tube B to enablesaid tubes to be withdrawn upwardly through the casing A for removingthe core' cut by the drill-head which is carried by the casing-tube, orfor other purposes.

The operation of contracting and expanding the reamers is performed asfollows: The parts are illustrated in Fig. 1 with the reamers expandedand in position for operation. At this time the spool is at the lowerlimit of its movement and the arms of the upper en- .larged part thereofrest behind the upper ends of the reamers, holding them in theirexpanded position. At this time the lower enlarged part of the spool isbelow the arms h4 b4 of the reamers and the said arms are swung inwardlyadjacent to or in contact with the smaller intermediate part of thespool. The reamers are retracted by lifting the spool so as to carry thearms of its upper enlarged part above the reamers and to bring the lowerenlarged part into contact with the reamer-arms b4 b4, and thereby throwthe latter outwardly and swing the reamers about their pivots until theyare carried inside of the surface of the tube. The position of thereamers is shown in Fig. 2. A reverse or downward movement of the spoolwill obviously throw the reamers outward and restore them to theposition shown in Fig. 1. The endwise or up-and-down movement ofthespool is accomplished by the aid of a harpoon or tool having expansiblejaws capable of bei ing automatically locked together or in theirretracted position when they are compressed. In two pending applicationsfor Letters Patent, filed by me June 29, 1888, Serial Nos. 278,571 and278,572, I have shown and described harpoons embodying this constructionand similar to the one I intend using in this connection. Said tool isdropped through the casing-tube by a rope until it enters thespoolsheath and by the expansion of its jaws engages with the flange D4.As said tool is drawn upwardly the spool-sheathwill be lifted, carryingwithit the spool, and thereby retracting the reamers within the casing.The inward movement of the reamers will bring the IOO ITC

shoulders h6 h6 upon the upper ends thereof to a point within thelocking-sheath E, whereupon said locking-sheath will slide downward orfall by gravity until its lower end hascontinue the boringand reamingoperation the several parts will be in the positions shown in Fig. 2,the reamers being retracted. To eX- pand the same, the harpoon is againdropped through the casing-tube until it venters the locking-sheath E,and is then drawn upwardly to engage the flange E thereon, after which afurther upward movement of the harpoon will lift said sheath upwardlyand out ot engagement with the shoulders h h6 of the reamers. The latterwill thus be unlocked,where upon the spool will fall and thereby expandthe reamers, as before described.

In another application for patent, Serial No. 322,373, tiled by me inthe United States Patent Office August 29, 1889, I have described andshown eXpansible cutting-reamers adapted to be operated byacentrally-arranged spool or actuating-core enlarged at its ends, whichis connected with an upwardly-extending spool-sheath or operating-tubesimilar to the one herein described. In the device described in saidapplication the locking-sheath herein described is dispensed with forthe reason that in said device the drillrod is lowered to its positionwithin the hole and raised therefrom by means ot' a rope which isconnected with the said spool-sheath or tube, so that the spool is heldby the tension of the rope at the upward limit of its Vmovement and inposition to retain t-he reamers contracted.

In the apparatus shown in this specification the casing-tube to whichthe reamers are pivoted is lowered and raised by means connected withits end which protrudes above the surface of the ground. Consequentlythe spool would tend to fall and expand the reamers, except for thepresence of the lockingsheath by means of which the said reamers can beheld in their retracted position while being lowered and raised, but canbe easily released and allowed to expand by freeing the locking-sheaththerefrom in the manner hereinbefore stated.

This device can be used simply to ream out a previously-drilled hole;but when the casing-tube B is provided with an annular cutting or drillhead on its advance end it can either be used to drill in advance of thereamers, cutting a core in the usual manner, while at the same timereaming out or enlarging the hole, or simply to cut a new core withoutreaming when the reamers are retracted. The invention is, however,designed more particularly for reaming out ahole that has beenpreviously drilled, reamed, and a casing inserted therein when it isdesired to insert an additional and larger casing to protect the firstcasing-that is to say, in

starting a well or similar boring the drill-rod is commonly used withouta casing where the character of the ground permits; but when a strata ofquicksand, gravel, or other Inaterial requiring a casing is encounteredI preferably remove the drill-rod and core-barrel or other core-liftingdevice and employ a section of drill-tube having reamers like thoseherein shown and locking-dogs by which the drill-tube may be engagedwith the lower end ot a casing larger than the drill-tube and which isrotated to drive the drill-rod and through which the drill-rod andcore-barrel may be removed upwardly for taking out the detachedfragments of the core. A drill-rod and casing-tube thus constructed andoperated are fully described in said application for patent, Serial No.322,373, hereinbefore mentioned. In the use of such devices a hole isbored somewhat in advance of the revolving casing, the reamers enlargesaid'hole to receive the casing, and the water used to remove detrituspasses downwardly through the drillrod and upwardly between the same andthe casing, or vice versa. In boring in this manner one of theditticulties may be encountered which is often met with when the hole isbeing formed with the drill-rod alone-that is to say, when the casingpasses through gravel or other loose material the latter may pack aboutthe casing and a second casing may be necessary to surround and protectthe first casing and allow the latter to be advanced. To accomplish theinsertion of such a second casing, it will be necessary to ream out ore'nlarge the previously-reamed hole. This is done by removing the casingand placing therein at a suitable point a section containing reamerslike those herein described. The work is then continued as before, thesecond or larger casing being driven down without being rotated as thehole is enlarged. After the said larger casing has reached the desiredpoint, and thus protects the inner casing, the section containing thedevices herein described can be removed, the inner casing re placed, andthe work continued as before.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with a casing-tube ordrill-rod and eXpansible reamers pivoted to the same, ot' anactuating-core or spool located within said casing tube adjacent to saidreamers and adapted to hold the same normally expanded and a lockingsheath adapted to engage the reamers when they are at the inward limitof their movement, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a casing-tube or drill-rod and expansiblereamers provided on their upper ends with shoulders,of an actuating-coreor spool located within the casingt-ube adjacent to said reamers andadapted to hold the same normally expanded and a slid- IOO IIO

shoulders of said reainers when the latter are retracted, Saidlocking-sheath having an upwardly-extending tube by means of Which itmay be operated, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afx mysignature in presence of two Witnesses.

MILAN C. BULLOCK. Vitnesses:

C. CLARENCE POOLE, HARRY COBB KENNEDY.

